The New Decorator's Handbook

Explains how to use painting and other techniques to refurbish one's home; covers color, lighting, planning the work, equipment, paints, and preparing surfaces; and suggests projects for each room

In this addition to how-to collections, Innes wavers between proffering advice on designs and offering craft instructions, eventually settling for before-and-after photographs and details for creating 16 projects in four rooms. Her patterns and ideas have no parallel; color-wash stripes hide walls of uneven countenance, frosted window panes add drama in the bathroom, and faux paneling transforms ordinary cabinets into chic storage. Barbara Jacobs